Tigers Ranked in Top 20 in Baseball Polls

TUCSON, Ariz. - Arizona St. University (28-1) has been
ranked No. 1 for the first time this season in "Collegiate Baseball" newspaper's NCAA Division I baseball poll.

The Sun Devils, which have won 19 straight games, have hit
38 home runs on the year in 29 games which equal the entire team total from all of last year. ASU's 28-1 record is the best start in school history as the Sun Devils are hitting .360 as a team with six players (30 or more at-bats) hitting over .400.

Ranked second is Georgia Tech. which is off to a glistening 14-0 record, the second best start in school history. Florida St., ranked No. 1 the previous two polls, slipped to second after beating the University of Florida two of three games. Rice (15-1) rounded out the top four in the nation. The Owls have won 12 straight games.

The top four teams in the nation are only separated by four points. Cal. St. Fullerton, ranked second last week, lost two of three at Minnesota and slipped to fifth.

Poll Notes: Two teams fell out of the poll this week in Tennessee and Alabama-Birmingham. The Volunteers lost three straight at home to Miami, Fla.
UAB dropped two games last week.

The "Collegiate Baseball" Newspaper poll is the oldest
college baseball poll. Its birth took place during the 1957 college baseball season.

* P Brian Morgan, Webber International: Morgan pitched the second no-hitter in school history as he struck out 8 against Trinity International in a 4-0, 7-inning victory. Morgan only walked two in the contest.

* RHP Tim Stauffer, Richmond: Stauffer struck out a
career-high 15 batters in a 3-1 win over Princeton. The pre-season All-American allowed only two hits and one walk.

* RHP Matt Durkin, San Jose St.: Durkin fanned a career-high
15 batters in a complete-game 8-0 shutout against Santa
Clara. He allowed no walks and gave up five hits. He struck
out seven of the first 10 batters.

* 3B Ryan Roberts, Texas-Arlington: Roberts belted 4 home
runs with 11 RBI and 9 runs scored during the past week in
six games. In a win against Centenary, he tied a school
record with five hits, including two home runs and 5 RBIs.
He was a double shy of hitting for the cycle in a game
against New Mexico.

Baseball America's Top 25

DURHAM, N.C.--Georgia Tech remained undefeated and atop Baseball America's Top 25 college baseball rankings for the fifth straight week.
The Yellow Jackets continued to feel pressure atop the poll, but swept a two-game series from Campbell and a three-game set from Rutgers to move to 14-0. Rice remains No. 2 after beating Houston and sweeping its first series in Western Athletic Conference play, at Louisiana Tech. One slip--a one-run loss at Florida--was enough for Florida State to drop behind Arizona State, which at 28-1 moved up to the third spot. Cal State Fullerton remained fifth despite losing its first series of the year, at Minnesota.
Of significance elsewhere in the poll, Auburn joined the Top 10 for the first time in 2003 after sweeping a series at then-22nd-ranked North Carolina. Miami moved up three spots to No. 17 after sweeping Tennessee in Knoxville, and Alabama joined the rankings for the first time this season on the strength of a 12-3 record. The Crimson Tide also handed Rice its only loss earlier in the season.
Baseball America's staff determines the Top 25 rankings, and records (which do not reflect ties) are through games of March 9.